Local
representatives of the Movimento 5 Stelle (M5S) recently filed a petition for a
proposed law that would limit the privileges currently enjoyed by regional
politicians and political parties. Called Zero Privileges, the petition, which
collected 8,000 signatures, was brought to the Tuscan Regional Council in
mid-September.
The
proposed legislation would save 4.5 million euro a year by cutting a series of
occupational allowances, including per diem allowances and reimbursements of
transportation costs. The proposal, part of the M5S’s larger goal to fight
political corruption, comes at a time when Italy’s mainstream parties have come
under fire for funding scandals and the many privileges enjoyed by politicians
(see TF 165).
In the
latest scandal, prosecutors are investigating alleged illegal uses of party
funding at the regional level of government, fuelling debate about the
allowances allocated to regional politicians. (The scandal started in the Lazio
region.)
‘The signatures
collected,’ M5S representatives stated, ‘represent a large part of the Tuscan
public opinion. We collected 8,000 signatures, many more than the 5,000
required to present the petition. This is an initiative we are pursuing in all
regions, and so far, we have already filed signatures in Lombardy and Tuscany.’
